Selectman Cara Winslow expressed concern Tuesday that new Director of Inspectional Services Myles Burke was hired at a salary 50% higher than the advertised pay rate and, at $75,000, well above the salary level specified in the town's personnel plan.

Town Administrator Mark Andrews responded that the Inspectional Services Department will be taking on more responsibilities. "I think the important part of it is to understand that we're going to work a lot leaner in that department, but use a lot more technology and a lot more initiatives that make a lot of sense for the community," Andrews said at the weekly Board of Selectmen meeting.

Burke's hiring was announced on April 6. His introduction to the Board was among the last orders of business of the former Board of Selectmen.

Winslow, elected to the board on April 6, noted that Burke's salary is above the top grade pay for that position in the town's personnel plan, and that the job was  advertised as paying only around $51,000.

"My biggest concern is that when we post for jobs, and we put a dollar figure on them, that people who apply understand that that's the dollar figure that we're prepared to pay," Winslow said.

Andrews said that Burke did not negotiate for a higher salary. "There was no negotiation from the applicant to the town," he said. "It was really the (hiring) committee's recommendation, unanimous, by the way, which we fully supported."

Selectmen Jane Donahue and Brenda Eckstrom said their opinion was that the personnel plan Winslow was referring to is not operative.

"The hiring and firing and the setting of pay scale is in the hands of the Town Administrator," Donahue said.

Winslow said she was not suggesting that Burke is not worth the salary, but "as we've all said time and time again, there needs to be a process and transparency so that the public understands why things are done in the way that they are done."